At its most basic, a social prescription offers the kind of help that doesn’t come in a tube or bottle (non medical).
Instead, a social prescribing link worker creates your own social prescription to provide you with support, help and information that will enable you to access services or activities that will improve your health, wellbeing and overall enjoyment in life.
Social prescribing link workers can offer support and signposting for a variety of non-clinical interventions such as:
- people struggling to adapt or cope with chronic conditions that can’t be addressed by clinical consultation
- mental health and emotional wellbeing
- relationship difficulties
- domestic abuse
- loneliness and isolation
- low self esteem
- poor housing
- financial issues, including benefits
- carers
- bereavement
- health goals e.g. weight management, healthy eating, stop smoking, physical activity
Judith Centeno
Practice: Streatham Common Group Practice; The Exchange Surgery
Social Prescribing Link Worker
About Judith Centeno
Other languages spoken: English, Spanish and Catalan
I was born in Nicaragua, coming from a tropical country I have experienced different natural disasters and I remember the war when I was child.
I have studied a degree in business back home, but my first job was in an NGO that stands for children in social exclusion, was there when I realised that I didn’t want to work in my career. I was working as accountant.
Therefore I decided to change the course of my career, when I moved to Spain I studied a post degree in humanitarian aid, also done some voluntary work with women who were disadvantaged and vulnerable.
In the UK, I have worked for many years in the care industry but I felt that something was missing until I heard of social prescribing. This is a great opportunity to through my job improve the living conditions of many people, having the right information, the right resources and good connections and relationships in the community.
In my role as social prescriber link worker I have different situations, you can meet people with different backgrounds, age, ethnicity, religion. I find that very enriching and challenging, can feel like a personal assistant for every single case as you need to focus in every detail.
Hoping to be of help for the patients and learn from them too.